Statue at the bridge of emperor Charles V
In the 19th century numerous stories and legends were invented about the Emperor Charles – also known as Charles V – many of which are depicted at each end of this bridge. One of the sculptures depicts a boat, referring to the story of Charles V as a ‘ship puller’. According to the legend, Charles V stood in the way of a boatswain’s towing path, causing the boat to run aground. The captain forced Charles V to pull the boat away from the shore again. Subsequently, the captain was given a new boat by the ‘ship puller’.
Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830 and was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. It has prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. Tensions bet... ... read more 
